A landslide near Parassala railway station in Kerala derailed the locomotive of the Bilaspur-Tirunelveli Express early Thursday, disrupting several train servicesAll passengers and railway staff are safe as restoration work continues amid heavy rain.
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Kerala landslide derails Bilaspur-Tirunelveli express, several trains delayed; Check list
(Image: Indian Railways twitter)
A landslide near Parassala railway station in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala derailed the locomotive of the Bilaspur-Tirunelveli Express early on Thursday, October 22The incident disrupted train services on the Neyyattinkara-Parassala section, Southern Railway saidThe incident took place at around 2:19 am when Train No22619, travelling from Bilaspur to Tirunelveli, was stopped near Parassala after a landslide was reported in the areaThe locomotive was later found to have derailed.
Southern Railway confirmed that all passengers and railway staff were safeNo injuries were reported in the incident.
Rescue and restoration work underway
Railway officials arranged another locomotive to move the affected trainAn Accident Relief Train (ART), along with staff and equipment, was also sent to the spot to begin restoration work and clear the affected railway section.
Train movement on the Neyyattinkara-Parassala route remained affected as railway teams worked to restore normal servicesThe railway authorities said the disruption could continue until the repair work was completed.
Several trains delayed due to landslide
The incident affected several trains travelling through the regionThree trains were stopped at different stations because of the disruption.
The Tambaram-Thiruvananthapuram Central Special was held at Eraniel, while the Madurai-Punalur Express was stopped at North PanakudiThe Tambaram-Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express was held at Nanguneri.
The departure of five other trains was also delayedThese included the Kanniyakumari-Mangaluru Central Parasuram Express, Nagercoil Junction-Punalur Passenger, Thiruvananthapuram North-Nagercoil Junction Passenger, Punalur-Kanniyakumari Passenger and Thiruvananthapuram Central-Tambaram Express.
The Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore Express and Pune-Kanniyakumari Express were also expected to run late, according to Southern Railway.
Passengers travelling through the affected section may face delays until restoration work is completed.
Heavy rain raises landslide concerns in Kerala
The landslide occurred amid heavy rainfall in parts of KeralaThe India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram district on Wednesday, October 21, warning of the possibility of very heavy rain in isolated areas.
A yellow alert was also issued for several districts between October 22 and October 25, indicating the possibility of heavy rainfallThe weather department warned that rain and thunderstorms could continue in different parts of the state over the coming days.
According to the IMD, heavy rain can increase the risk of landslides, mudslides and flooding, particularly in vulnerable areasResidents have been advised to follow official weather updates and safety instructions.
With rainfall expected to continue in parts of Kerala, railway teams are working to restore services on the affected routePassengers are advised to check the latest train updates with Southern Railway before starting their journey.
